User Manual Breville BTM800XL the Tea Maker

The manual states that you should not have running water on the outside of the carafe, probably because of the danger of getting water into the electronics. You can clean the outside by using a damp cloth or damp paper towel. I don't even fill mine by running water from the faucet. I fill a large cup, and then pour the water into the unit. This is very convenient for me, as I use a very large cup (quart size), so I tend to make a single quart-size cup of tea at a time.

Though the BTM800XL, Tea Maker is not designed for cold brewing, a pot of tea can be made and iced afterwards for delicious iced tea.

I am not in front of it right now but you press and hold one of the buttons and it shuts off automatically or you can unplug it.

It doesn't, special cleaning powder descales and removes tannic buildup. however, tea tastes better with filtered water.

The main body of the carafe is glass but the handle is plastic. The handle is sturdily built in, haven't had any issues with it.